Resource: The Sled Dogs of the Arctic Circle
Media Type:
QuickTime Video
Length: 7m 17s
Size: 46.6 MB
In this Nature video, we learn how the Inuits of the Arctic Circle rely on their dogs. Existing on a diet of snow and seal blubber (fat), these dogs pull the sleds of the Inuits and protect them from wild animals. Multiple dogs pull together to maintain the stability of the sled. Sled dogs sometimes run the equivalent of five marathons (5 x 26.2 miles = 131 miles) per day. They will be the first to fall through the ice if there is a crack, but they recover from the cold plunge quickly. The dogs have evolved to master the harsh environment.
Teachers' Domain, The Sled Dogs of the Arctic Circle, published October 8, 2008, retrieved on ,
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/vtl07.la.ws.process.sleddogs/
- Frame and Focus
- Follow Up
- Connections
- Standards
Print Frame and FocusThe following suggestions are best suited for elementary or middle school students using this video in an English language arts or science lesson. Be sure to modify the questions to meet your students' instructional needs.
Frame (ELA) What does it mean to synthesize information? Discuss some examples of when and how you would synthesize information to create a broad understanding of a topic. For example, in writing a report or deciding for whom to vote, you would gather information from multiple sources and mold it together to present a clear report or to form an opinion.
Focus (ELA) In this video, we learn a lot of information about sled dogs. We hear about the history, jobs, physical features, and diet of sled dogs. Then we hear how humans rely on them to survive in the Arctic Circle less now than they did in the past. As you listen and learn, synthesize all of this information to form a personal opinion supporting whether sled dogs should or should not be used by modern Inuits.
Frame (SCI) How are animals, including humans, physically engineered to survive in their environments? For example, think of the different kinds of bears in the world. Could brown bears survive in the Arctic? Could polar bears survive in the jungle?
Focus (SCI) As you watch, think about how sled dogs are physically engineered to pull sleds, run long distances and withstand the cold temperatures, even as puppies.
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Related Resources:
The Herding Dogs of the United Kingdom
(QuickTime Video)
The Hunting Dogs of Papua New Guinea
(QuickTime Video)
See Also:
K-12 Subject:
Narrative Writing
Lesson Plans Using this Resource:
Source: Nature: "Dogs That Changed the World"
Resource Produced by:
Collection Developed by:
Collection Funded by:
Funding for the VITAL/Ready to Teach collection was secured through the United States Department of Education under the Ready to Teach Program.